Charged For Advance Fee Loan Fraud Samuel Selmar Ask to Delay Sentencing from June 22

Charged For Advance Fee Loan Fraud Samuel Selmar Ask to Delay Sentencing from June 22 by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 21 – Yisroel Heber and Yechiel Meshi-Zahav were indicted, then arrested and arraigned on April 9 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. Inner City Press was there in the courtroom.   The prosecutors say the duo ran "an advance-fee loan fraud scheme through which they defrauded dozens of victims of at least approximately $2 million." In court they described unauthorized withdrawals from loan applicants' bank accounts.   Meshi-Zahav had retained counsel; Heber was represented for the day by the Federal Defender, who said he did not want to give his bank account information as it might violate his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.   Judge Kaplan said, Take time to talk with your client, the government can accommodate him. The meaning was clear, and it was agreed the information will be given.  The two were ordered released on their own signature for $100,000 personal recognizance bonds. Downstairs, they were led through the Magistrates Court to sign. Jump cut to June 14, when the US Attorney's Office wrote it asking to adjourn the June 18 conference, saying Yisroel Heber is schedule to plead guilty before Magistrate Judge James M. Cott on June 17. And Yechiel Meshi-Zahav? The US says is it actively discussing a potential resolution with him but does not anticipate completing under after June 18. Yisroel did plead guilty on June 17. And on November 27 his counsel wrote, in a redacted sentencing memo, asking for probation. The docket, at least on that day, did not list when sentencing will be. On December 11 Yisroel Heber was sentenced to 15 months in prison. On May 21, 2026 co-defendant Samuel Selmar's counsel wrote in asking to delay his June 22 sentencing to late July or early August, citing his Special Master and still unidentified victims, and counsel's trial in 100 Centre Street (in an alleged deed theft case Inner City Press has also covered).  This case is US v. Heber, et al, 24-cr-188 (Kaplan) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com